Guardian of Light, Harbinger of Darkness
by eidolondestroyer
Summary: Before Sora first obtained the Keyblade, the balance of light and darkness was in peril. And so a warrior took the Keyblade, and through his adventures spawned two legends of the Keyblade, one saying he saved the world, the other saying he destroyed it.
1. Eternal Light

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

            She walked slowly across the room, observing the sobbing figure to whom she was headed. She could understand his pain, they had all lost so much. They had lost everything really. They all had cried eventually, mourning their past and what they had once knew. He had held out the longest, and he had been the uniting force for them, convincing them to look into their hearts and nurture the innate light within. But now even he cried, even he bemoaned and cursed the darkness for what it had done to them.

            As she neared his sobbing form she reached out and gently held his shoulder in her hand, attempting to reassure him that the future would be better, that they just had to hold out long enough for their efforts to bear fruit. He slowly calmed down and stifled his cries, wiping away his tears with one of his arms before turning around. From his face she easily saw how much he had been crying, and it hurt her to see him in such pain. Of course, everything seemed to hurt recently.

            "Was our effort really worth it?" he asked, and she pulled away in shock. His voice was full of resentment for all that had happened, hatred for those who had brought this fate onto them. "It will happen again." he continued, stating it as though there wasn't a shadow of a doubt. "There will always be those who are too selfish. They'll argue over the light again, and once more their hearts will collapse unto darkness. So much sacrifice, so much pain, and we shoved it to the side, pretending that nothing happened. We picked up the broken pieces and gathered them together again, forgetting why they were shattered, and what had happened from their shattering. We created this world in which darkness did not reign over all, but how can we be assured that darkness won't claim this world as well?" She paused, unable to answer him, and he turned away again, his face grim and mournful.

            "Maybe…we can find a way. A way to seal away the darkness forever." she stated optimistically, trying desperately to give him the gift they all needed so much, hope.

            "And what could do that?" he half-answered and half-barked at her. She recoiled in fear, looking on as his sadness turned to anger. He saw her fearful expression and calmed down before turning away once again ashamedly. "I'm sorry. It's just, what if the darkness does come again. It infiltrated a world of pure light, slipping through the cracks and extinguishing the light. And this world is far from pure light. This world also has darkness within it. If nothing else it's more prone to fall into darkness than our world was."

            "I know that this world could fall to darkness. I fear such a thing just as much as you do. But just as there is darkness in this world, there is light as well. And as long as there is light within our hearts, this world can draw on our strength and resist the temptation of darkness." She more quoted the words than stated them, for it was one of his sayings, part of one of his many speeches that allowed them to create this new world. He smiled softly upon hearing them, reminded of how much they had accomplished.

            "Maybe. And while we may not be able to dispel the shadows that constantly threaten the world, maybe someone else can. Maybe someone can open the door, and bring forth eternal light into this world." His smile grew somewhat broader, and they walked away, planning to make sure that their future savior would have the means to open the door.

_1000 years later…_

            Telum gasped heavily, trying to resist the urge to faint. Sweat ran down his face, dropping to the ground heavily. His hair, dampened by his own sweat, had fallen down onto his forehead and the ends extended just far enough to obscure his vision and get in the way. He lifted his head, which felt very much like lead, and his eyes rested on the figure standing in front of him. The figure held a sword in each hand, and he didn't seem the least bit tired. Telum winced, he had been hoping that his opponent was as exhausted as he was. Then again, how could something that didn't truly exist be tired? His opponent stepped forward from the shadows into the light, preparing to attack again. His light brown hair somehow stayed away from his eyes, so Telum could easily see the bright green orbs, perfectly centered in the eyes. Despite their bright hue, the eyes still seemed so dark. Perhaps it was just the figure's apathetic look upon his face, maybe it was even the black robes that loosely covered his body, but he seemed far darker than he should have. Telum had seen his reflection enough times to know he didn't look like that.

            "Do you give up yet?" Telum's shadow figure asked disinterestedly. "If you succumb to the darkness your pain will instantly be eased. Your life will be without these petty emotions, and you will know power that you had never thought could have existed. You could become me." Telum's eyes narrowed and despite his exhaustion he found the strength to talk.

            "I'd sooner die. But you cannot kill me. My heart won't give in to the darkness, and as long as there is light within it, I can defeat you." Telum's shadow figure was quick to adopt an expression of rage and he brought his blades back up. Telum brought his own swords up and crossed them with his shadow figure's. He began to feel revitalized, as though in just refusing the darkness he had won. And that was really all that mattered. So long as he did not live a life of darkness, nothing mattered. Yet more energy surged through his body and he began to press the attack on his shadow figure. It could no longer fight against Telum's ever-increasing light and it fell to Telum's blade. It sank to the ground slowly, wavering in and out of tangibility. Soon it disappeared altogether and Telum literally felt the relief coursing through his body. He smiled to himself and walked forward, opening a massive stone door.

            Within the room beyond the door there lay a single object, cast into darkness for a thousand years. Yet through the darkness it had continued to radiate light, shining brightly in spite of the darkness. Its brilliant silver blade gleamed amidst its own light, and Telum stared in awe. He had been expecting an object of magnificence, but never had he expected it to be this magnificent. He walked across the chamber and stood in front of the pedestal on which the item sat. He looked at it closely and noticed the finer details of the sword. It didn't look too much like an actual sword. The handle was a brilliantly crafted gold, and it looked somewhat like the handle of an ordinary sword. It was the blade that shocked Telum. A long silver rod was affixed to the handle, and it ended in the shape of a key. It seemed to be anything but a weapon, but its light was undeniably overpowering.

            _Keyblade…_ The word resonated within his mind, and he knew he had found what he had been searching for. This blade could save his world from being cast into darkness. Telum joyously plucked the item from its resting place and walked away, a happy gait in his step.

            He failed to notice the shadows of the room gathering after he left. He failed to notice them swirling around each other before meeting together and becoming dense enough to take form. And the form they chose was a twisted replica of the weapon of light.

**Author's Note**- And there you go. Go ahead and tell me what you think. Do I continue onward or slowly kill this story in its sleep, reveling in its muffled screams? I don't really care one way or another (I laugh at the stupidity and broken English of flamers), so just go ahead and review.


	2. Dawn of Darkness

            _Darkness is the truthful essence of life. Light lies and deceives mankind, pretending that it will help them and be their salvation. When the time comes however, it abandons men and leaves them to their doom, claiming that they are unworthy. Darkness, however, never leaves. It is a constant in life, always by the sides of those who desire it. And it helps them to overcome the deceptive light, extinguishing it in its entirety. And when the user of darkness is no longer strong enough to live in the world, he becomes one with the darkness, absorbed by it to lend whatever power he has to the next in the line of those desiring the darkness. Through darkness it is possible to become immortal, for all that we are is power, and our power goes through an eternal cycle of being given and taken to and from others. And what does light do? It allows us to die in unbearable agony and misery. Those who choose the light fall, and the light lets them fall. Those who choose the darkness reign, and the darkness lets them reign._

            Umbra grinned as his mind recited the words he had long ago been taught. The philosophy he followed had been bludgeoned into his head over the years, and over the years he had steeped himself in their wisdom more and more until finally the darkness chose him to be its next user. And through his newly gained darkness, he saw it. An abomination, a weapon seeking to further the light. He also saw the weapon in its truthful form, the shadow form of it. That weapon of darkness, it had been spawned from the light. Over the years the light of the abomination had lengthened the shadows until they were powerful enough to take form. And now that the abomination of light was gone, and the absence of light was complete, they had formed. As the user of darkness, it was Umbra's job to retrieve that weapon and use it to obliterate the abomination.

            The journey to find the dark weapon had been an easy one. Everywhere he had gone the pull of the darkness, which was so strong in that weapon, had guided Umbra. And now he was in front of the door that guarded the weapon. A keyblade. That was what the darkness called it. It held the power to forever cast worlds in eternal darkness, and revert them to their truthful form.

            Umbra hesitantly touched the massive stone door, and his fingers traced the outlines of the ancient carvings on the door. 'Beware of the ultimate light, for it is quick to abandon and quicker to corrupt.' the carvings read. Umbra then withdrew his hand and placed it atop a single panel before pushing against it. The panel slid easily into the wall and Umbra watched eagerly as the door opened. Beyond lay a room completely entrapped in darkness. Even the outside light could not penetrate the shadows of the room, and it was pure black. There was nothing to see but darkness, and only the most observant eye could see it. A slight change in the darkness. The area in which the keyblade resided. The keyblade was the blackest darkness, and even against the pure darkness it was darker yet. Umbra smiled malevolently, knowing that the day had come in which he could destroy the light altogether.

            He walked across the room, his steps echoing loudly amidst the total silence, and he reached out and grabbed the dark keyblade before losing himself in its power.

            Telum walked into the shrine before sitting down at its center. He set the keyblade down onto the ground, admiring the way it reflected the light. The blade continued to shine brightly, a beacon of light. Telum could see why it was the weapon that would open the door to the light and forever seal away the darkness.

            "I see that you were successful in retrieving the weapon of light." a gruff voice said behind him. Telum smiled faintly before standing up and turning around. Telum easily towered over the man, and his tan skin and youthful appearance contrasted to the man's pale skin and elderly looks. Telum's eyes quickly scanned the man's features. The combed over gray hair did little to hide the receding hairline of the man, and despite the man's ritualistic white robes which invoked a sense of peace, his calloused and scarred face spoke of the battles he had seen in his earlier years. Telum often wondered if he would end up like his father, a man who could only look back onto his years as a warrior, long crippled by the harsh flow of time.

            "Yes, this is indeed the keyblade." Telum then remarked, noticing that he had kept his father waiting too long for a reply. He then saw his father's gaze had come to the keyblade, looking at it, or perhaps through it.

            "How unfortunate. The weapon of light, it has been tainted by the darkness over the course of a thousand years. Telum, only the truest of hearts will be able to use the blade. And through its time in darkness, the definition of true has been blurred. To it, truth is strength. Only the strongest heart will be able to hold the keyblade. Telum, if your heart falters and weakens, even for a second, it will abandon you." Telum paused, silenced by the warning of his father. He looked down upon the keyblade, watching it shine. He began to wonder how such a weapon could be tainted by darkness. However, he had long ago learned not to question his father, who was very attuned to the innate light and darkness within everything.

            Telum then walked out of the shrine, and his father walked behind him, closely watching Telum's steps. After they had walked some distance, Telum found himself on the top of a hill, overlooking a vast plain. The wind blew gently through it, playing with the wheat, which leaned to and from. The plains were known for their tranquility and peacefulness, and Telum had frequented this place for its calming attributes.

            Telum then felt the keyblade react, and its light grew brighter. At first he smiled, thinking that the light within the keyblade was being strengthened, but his expression quickly turned to horror as the light then faded away quickly, going not to its normal state, but fading further until it no longer shone.

            The wheat of the plains began to die.

            He emerged from the temple with the keyblade in hand. He came out warped and twisted by his own darkness, the flow of which had been accelerated by the keyblade. He had become darkness itself, and even the least sensitive to light and darkness could feel his presence. Those who actually saw him witnessed his body being consumed by shadows until he had become nothing but shadows given form, much like the weapon he possessed. Those who saw it were never able to tell others of the event they witnessed. They were struck down by shadows, and the dark being drank from their screams of agony before taking away their hearts altogether, taking away the most basic element of life. They did not die though, they were mutated by the shadows, twisted and corrupted by their power, and they too turned to beings made of shadows. But unlike their corruptor, who maintained his sense of self, they lost all awareness and became mindless beings, seeking in vain to restore their hearts by taking away the hearts of others. A new legacy of darkness had begun.

            The Heartless had come into existence.


End file.
